Supporter for wearing apparel



N ,8, 1932- o. e. STOFFREGEN 1,836,754

SUPEORTER FOR WEARING APPAREL Filed Jan. 23. 1930 Patented Nov. 8, 1932 twee sra'rss estate @FFEQ? QTTO G. STOFFREGEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SUPPORTER FOR WEARING APPAREL Application filed January 23, 1930. Serial No. 422,824.

strap and is adapted for use in connection with corsets, brassieres and similar garments.

One object of the invention is to provide a shoulderstrap whichis generally of new and improved construction and embodies novel m'devices whereby the ends thereof may be connected to the garment that is to be supported. Another object of the invention is to provide a shoulder strap of the aforementioned character in which the attaching devices are connected to loops on the ends of the strap and are readily removable so that the strap may be washed Without the devices;

A further object of'the invention is to pro- 0 vide a shoulder strap which is so constructed that the length thereof may be readily varied in order to support the garment to which it is attached in any desired position.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present shoulder strap construction will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel 9 features which are hereinafter set forth and shoulder straps embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the fastening devices at the ends of one of the straps. F ig. 3 is a detail of the fastener for connecting the elastic loop of the strap to the garment. Fig. 4: is a detail of the fastener for connecting the adjustable loop of the strap to the garment. Fig. 5 is a detail of a modified form of fastening device.

The shoulder strap which forms the subject matter of theinvention is designated in the drawing by the reference letter B and is adapted in conjunction with another strap of similar construction to support a corset or similar 'arment A. It is designed to extend over the shoulder of the wearer of the garment A and embodies at the ends thereof fastening devices C andD. These devices serve to connect the strap to the garment. The strap is formed of a strip of non-elastic ribbon Z) and an elastic strip Z), the contiguous ends of which are sewed together as at 6 The elastic strip 1) is folded to form a loop 6 which is detachably connected to the fastener C. The distal end of said strip 7) is sewed as at 6* so that the loop is closed. Strip 6 is folded to form a loop 6 which is adapted to slide and pass through fasten-er D. In addition to the fastening devices 0 and D the strap embodies a buckle E. This buckle is slidable on the strap and comprises a central cross-bar e and end bars e. Strip 6 passes under theend bars and over the central bar of'the buckle, so the buckle will be frictionally gripped when the strip is drawn taut. The free end of the portion of strip Z) which forms the loop 5 is folded around cross-bar e and under the contiguous portion of strip 6, so that it will be frictionally and removably held in the buckle when the shoulder strap is taut. By sliding the buckle on the strap, thev loop 6 may be lengthened or shortenedtolengthen or shorten the strap and consequentlyit is possible to adj ustthe strap to the wearer, and so it will support the garment in the desired position. 'W hen the end of the loop 6* iswithdrawn from the buckle,

the latter can be slipped 0d the strap.

Fastener C comprises aplate 0 which has a transverse slot 0 therein for the elastic loop 6 and a slot 0 in the top of the plate to permit the loop 72 to be inserted into and re moved from said slot 0. A sleeve 0 slidable on the top of the plate, is adapted to close slot 0 and prevent accidental withdrawal of the, loop 6 fromslot c. The lower portion of plate a is formed with an integral cylindrical tongue 0 in which-one side 0 of a. safety fastener 0 is hinge Fastener V 0 comprises a wire whlchis bent to formside alt a resilient pin 0 and an intermediate coil 0 and a clip 0 in which one end of side 0 is fixedly held and the point of pin 0 is removably held. Pin 0 is adapted to pass through the seam or hem on the upper margin of the garment to connect fastener C detachably to the garment. This fastener exemplifies one which comprises means for detachably connecting it to the garment and sneans whereby it may be detachably con ted to the loop Z). When the fastener C removed from the garment and detached rom the strap, both the strap and the garment may be readily laundered without danger of being injured by the metallic fastener.

Fastener D comprises a plate d which is similar in construction to the plate of fastener C, except that the slot 0 and sleeve 0 are omitted, because the end of strip 5, when disconnected from the buckle, can be threaded through the closed slot cl of fastener D in attaching this fastener to or detaching it from the strap B. Fastener D also comprises a safety fastener c of the same construction used in fastener C and the pin 0 of this safety fastener is adapted to connect the fastener D to the seam or hem of the upper margin of the garment A.

In the use of the garment A, it is desirable to remove the strap and fasteners, particularly when the latter are formed of metal, so that the garment and strap may be readily laundered. For this purpose, the pins 0 may be readily unhooked from clips 0 and Withdrawn from the seam of the garment. This will detach the fasteners from the garment. The fastener C may then be removed from the strap by sliding the sleeve 0 to one end of plate 0 and slipping the loop Z2 of the elastic strip 5 through slot 0 The fastener D may be similarly detached from the garment. By withdrawing the free end of the loop 6 from the buckle E, the strip 7) may be drawn out of the slot (Z in the plate (Z of fastener D, so that this fastener will be separated from the strap. The buckle may then be stripped from the strip 12, so that the shoulder strap Will be separated from all the metallic parts. I

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the fastener comprises a safety fastener consisting of a pin 0 coil 0 side member 0 and clip 0 and a member C which is formed of a plate of metal, and comprises an upper member 0 a lower member 0 a hook 0 which resiliently and removably engages terminal 0 of member 0 and a cylindrical loop 0 bent around member 0 By springing the terminal 0 out of the hook 0 an opening Will be )rovided in member C for the insertion and removal of a loop on the strap. This form of fastener may be used at both ends of each strap, if desired. It Will also be understood that the fastener C may be used at both ends of the strap, if desired.

The shoulder strap herein disclosed and de-. scribed may be manufactured at a 10W and reasonable cost by virtue of the fact that it consists of but a small number of parts. It is exceedingly simple in construction and is of an improved design in that the fasteners for connectingthe ends of the strip to the garment may be detached from the garment and from the strip.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified Within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: V

.A device for connecting a shoulder strap having a looped'end to a garment, comprising an elongated flat plate of metal having a longitudinal'slot for receiving the looped end of the strap, and a transverse slot leading to the longitudinal slot to permit the loop-to be inserted into said longitudinal slot, a cylindrical shaped tongue connected to and projecting laterally from one side ofthe plate, a safety pin for attachment to the garment having a portion thereof extending through and connected pivotally to the tongue, and a member slidably mounted on the plate for closing the transverse slot.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 2d day of January, 1930.v t Y OTTO G. STOFFREGEN. 

